Panel structures



June 3, 1958 c. T. DENKER 2,836,853

PANEL STRUCTURES Filed April 13. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Flan INVENTOR. 7 6 /0 CHARLES T. DENKER FIG. 3

ATTORNEY June 3, 1958 c. T. DENKER j 2,336,353

PANEL STRUCTURES I Filed April 13, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 2 d Y r1? wm A .m w fwwwf. M )MN/4! 7 m M 2 fnv l G .A HM 3 w Jn/2m VXA/ erates @arent @tace Patented june 3, QSS

This invention relates to laminated construction materials and more particularly to the reinforcement thereof.

Laminated construction materials, such as plywood, have been axforded heretofore by laying flat sheets, such as thin slabs of wood, one upon the other and adhesively connecting the same. Such materials embody sucient strength to enable them to be used in a variety of ways, but there are instances where such materials cannot be employed and a primary object of this invention is to reinforce materials of the aforesaid character so as to enable such materials to be used in a conventional manner and also in other ways not possible with previous arrangements,

Another object of this invention is to interpose a metallic ply between plies or wood or kindred material and to at least partially embed portions of the metallic ply in the wood or like plies arranged on opposite sides thereof, and an ancillary object is to adhesively inter-connect the plies of wood or the like afforded on opposite sides of a metallic reinforcing ply.

Yet another object of this invention is to aord a laminated construction material wherein at least two metallic plies or reinforcements are aiforded and to embed such plies or reinforcements in plies of wood or the like respectively arranged on opposite sides of such reinforcenents and to adhesively or otherwise secure together the various plies constituting the laminated construction materia including the plies on opposite sides of the metallic reinforcements.

Another object is to embed at least one metallic reinforcement adjacent plies of a panel or laminated construction material and to extend at least one ply on one side of the metallic reinforcement in such a way as to aicrd an overhang embodying a face having at least a portion of the metallic reinforcement embedded therein and to provide another and opposite overhanging portion embodying at least the ply on the other side of said reinforcement that is extended so as to expose a face of the ply free of reinforcement.

Other and more speciiic objects are to utilize expanded metal as a reinforcement in a laminated construction material; to embed sach expanded metal in plies of the material disposed on opposite sides thereof; and to adhesively interconnect the plies on opposite sides of a reinforcement of the aforesaid character to thereby afford a united and reiucrced laminated construction material. further objects of the present invention will the vfollowing escription and claims ted in tl e accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what i now consider to be the best mode in which I have con-temp ated applying these principles. Other embodiits of the invention embodying the same or equivalent princi'L les may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

ln the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the embodiment shown in Fig. l wherein super-imposed plies on one side of the metallic reinforcement are successively broken away to expose a pt on of the metallic reinforcement;

3 is a sectional detail View taken substantially on the line 3-3 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a form of metallic reinforcement that may be utilized in the practice of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken line 5 5 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of yet of my invention;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of my invention somewhat similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 and wherein super-imposed plies are broken away; and

Fig. 8 is a longi .idinal sectional view illustrating an tptaticn of the form of my invention shown in Fig. 7. fi invention is embodied in laminated construction substantially on the another embodiment layers tI t are usually adhesively secured together. la*J ers are ci wood it is customary to extend of my invent; n shown in Figs. l to 3, inclusive, i resort to a sheet oferpauded metal :3 the metallic ply. Expanded metal includes arms that extend at an angle to the plane of a sheet thereof so as to thereby afford somewhat of a tooth or cutting edge. When a sheet of this material is to be utilized to reinforce a laminated construction material, the sheet 5 is interposed between two plys of wood or the lil-:e of which the material is to be comprised. A st table adhesive is introduced between the adjacent faces of me plys S and 9 on opposite sides of the sheet metal reiniorc Dependent upon the use to which the laminated construction material is to be put, additional plys will be incorporated as, for example, the plys and lli may be arranged respectively outwardly of the plys e and r[he plys 7 and ti and and l0 will be connected in the usual way by an adhesive. lf desired, still additional plys may be provided and the plys and 1l are exemplary of this, these plys being arranged outwardly of the A .7 and l@ and being joined thereto in the manner et. ed hereinabove with reference to the plys 7 and 3 and 9 and itl.

When the number plys has been determined, these are laid one upon other with the metallic reinforce as S between the dially disposed plys of wood or the and, as customary in the art, an adhesive is intro- J laminated arrangement is then subjected to pressure sufficient to a spade/d metal reinforce 5 to become 1e plys as d and 9 on opposite sides thereof. w also be effective to unite the other plys that is to be associated therewith. The sheet 12 will be employed in the same manner as the sheet of expanded metal and the protuberances as 13 and 14 will become embedded'in adjacent plysas Sand 9.when the laminated Yarrangement is subjected to pressure, asfdescribed here- A inabove.- yThe prctuberances as 13 and 14 have'open-ends to permit V adhesive to now therethrough, 4and thisadhesive,

v together with'the embedding of the protuberanc'es as 1?Y Y.and 14 in the plys as 3 andVY 9,insur'e that the arrange- "mentisrmlyunited/ p In Fig. 6.1 have illustrated a further form of my inven- V tion.V In this form the laminated construction material includes two metallic reinforcements as the sheets-of expanded Vmetal `15 and 16. 'Ihe VYsheet 15 .is disposed be- Ytween plys as 1.7 and A18 while the lsheet 16 is disposed between plys as V19 and 20; and the plys 17, 1S and 19 may be relatively thick as. shown, although such increased thickness isnot essential. An adhesive is applied between V*the variousplys andthe laminated structure is then subjected to pressure so as to embed the metallic reinforce in Y' Y the plys adjacent thereto', asV has been explained hereinabove with reference to the expanded metal reinforce 5.

A further modified form of my invention is illustrated in Figs.V 7 and 8. The laminated material there illustrated 'Y is similar to that shown in Fig. 6, and those elements in Figs; 7 and 8 which correspondrtothe,elements shown in Fig. 6 have the same'reference character applied thereto in Figs. 7 and 8 as that used in Fig. 6 but the sux A. is added to these reference characters in Figs. 7Y and 8.

The material'shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is in the form of a panel and is so arranged that along one edgeof the panel the plys 18A and 19A and the metallic reinforcement 15A are Vextended outwardly soV as to afford anoverhanging portion generally indicated by23. Along the opposite edges of the panel the plys 18A and 19A, and the metallic reinforce 116A are extended to afford an overhanging portiongenerally indicated by.24. It Vwill be noted that the metallic reinforce A is disposed on the inner face of the overhanging portion 23, but the inner face of the overhanging portion 24 is devoid of such a reinforce- "ment VThis enables panels such as are shown in Fig. 7 to beutilized in the manner shown in Fig. 8 where adj jacent panels are shown as connected to a studding 25 by a nail 26. By referring to Fig. 8 it will be noted that the overhanging portion 23 on one panel is disposed inwardly of the Voverhanging portion 24 of an adjacent panel.

f substantially the same thickness disposed Von oppositeV Y rk v;

a pair of relatively thick, rigid plywood panels each of4 faces of such reinforcing ply and with at least Vportions of said plyembedded in and interlocked with adjacent faces of said panels, and 'adhesive means disposed betweenV said panels and said ply to secure said ply and said panels together. Y 'Y V2. In a structural member for .building vandlike purposes, a reinforcing ply made from sheet metal'and hav-A ing cutting edge'elements facing nropposite directions from said ply at spaced points throughout theV area thereof, a pair of relatively thick, rigid plywood panels of the same seize as said reinforcing ply, one of said panels being disposed against one face of said Vply in registry with-said ply, and the other Vof' said panels being disposed against the other face of said ply in a laterally 'oifset relation to afford oppositely facing lapv joints at opposite edges of the panels, said cnttingedge elements being disposed in penetrating relation to saidpanels, and adhesive means disposed between said panels and 'saidV ply to secure said plyV and said panels together. Y Y

3. In a panel Vstructural memberfor building walls and like purposes,- a reinforcing ply made from expanded sheet metal alfording webs forming cutting edge Velements adhesive means disposedbetween said panels and said ply to secure'said ply and said panels together.

i 4.A structural panel member for building and KVlike;

purposes comprising a n rst relatively thick, rigid plywood panel including at least twowood plys bonded to each,V other; a second similar-plywood panel; a sheet of ex- Y panded metal, comprising a network of metalelements When the parts are so arranged, an adhesive may be dis- V Y posed between the inner faces of the overhanging portions 23 and 24, if desired. However, as an incident to the driving in of the nail as 26 the reinforce as 15A isV forcedk into the adjacent face of the overhanging portion 24 and thereby in effect a continuous reinforced Wall arrangement is afforded. K Y VIt will'be manifest Vfrom the foregoing description that I have provided an arrangement which enables the hereinabove described and kindred objects to be realized.V

like purposes, aV reinforcing ply formed from sheet metal having penetrating elements struck therefrom so as to extend from opposite faces of the sheet atspaced points,

intersecting in a regular pattern andeach affording cutting edges extending outwardly from both sides of said sheet, pressed between said two plywood panels with said cutting edges of said Vexpanded metal embeddedkin adjacent faces of said panels to interlock said panels with said sheet of expanded metal and with each other; and adhesive material, disposed between said panels and substan tially filling the interstices in s aid expanded metal, for

bonding said panels and said expanded metal Vto each other. Y g

References Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,027 Pickering Mar, 6, 1888 488,809 Heepe Dec. 27, 1892 886,813 Jones May 5, 1908 1,074,404 Ba'rnhart Sept. l30, 1913 1,456,599 Jensen May w29,V `1923 1,659,539 Judson Feb. 14, 1928 1,915,221 Fitzgerald June 20, 1933 2,011,130 Ward Aug. 13, 1935 2,089,550 Hacker Aug. 10, 1937 2,329,366 Weill et al Sept. 14, 1943 2,372,929 Blessing Apr. 3, 1945y 2,401,281 Webb May 28, 1946Y 2,427,879

Robertson et al Sept. 23, 1947 

